Russia To Send Newer Missile Defences To Syria After Aircraft Crash

Library image of a Russian Ilyushin IL-20 aircraft (Picture: Crown Copyright).

Russia will supply the Syrian government with more modern missile defence systems following last week's downing of a Russian plane.

The Russian military aircraft was downed by Syrian government missile defence systems, killing all 15 people on board, in a friendly fire incident which sent regional tensions over the war-torn country soaring.

Russia laid the blame squarely on Israel, saying Israeli fighter jets had pushed the Russian plane into the line of Syria's fire.

President Vladimir Putin initially struck a reconciliatory note, blaming the downing on a "chain of tragic, fatal circumstances".

But the Russian military came out on Sunday renewing the accusations against Israel.

Russian officials said Syria's outdated S-200 systems were not sophisticated enough to identify the Russian plane as a friendly one.

Monday's statement from Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia will send the S-300 missile defence systems to Syria within the next two weeks.

Earlier in the war, Russia suspended a supply of S-300s, which Israel feared Syria could use against it.

Mr Shoigu said Russia is now going to go ahead with the shipment because "the situation has changed, and it's not our fault".

He also said that Russia would start to electronically jam aircraft flying in to attack targets in Syria:

"We are convinced that these measures will calm down some hotheads and keep them from careless actions which pose a threat to our troops."

Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Russian news agencies that supplying S-300s to Syria is Russia's "own right" and expressed confidence that this would not hurt ties with Israel.

The Kremlin said Russia's decision was not targeted against anyone and only serves to protect Russian troops in Syria.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that recent findings by the Russian military showed an Israeli jet "deliberately" pushed the Russian IL-20 into the line of fire, enabling its downing.

The Trump administration warned Russia that supplying Syria with the advanced missile defence system would be a "major mistake" and should be reconsidered.

It also said US forces will not leave Syria until Iran leaves.

National security adviser John Bolton said that delivery of the Russian S-300 would be a "significant escalation" in already high tensions in the region.